We've had a family of raccoons move into our neighborhood that are tearing everything in the yard up when they are digging for something to eat. We live in a densely populated city subdivision, so shooting the little rascals isn't really a possibility. A couple of these things are bigger than our little foo-foo dogs and my wife is very afraid they will attack her babies when we take them out just before bedtime. They were out in the front yard just this last night when we went out around 10:00pm. This morning the yard is a huge mess from all their pillaging.

Has anybody got any ideas on how to safely get rid of these unwelcomed pests?

__________________Fear is a Reaction..............Courage is a Decision

Live trap- bait with a can of sardines (unopened, just punctured in a few spots)

Then dispose of racoon with a high enegy pellet rifle to the head.

Under the game laws in most states, it is legal for you to kill them. Illegal to relocate.

Racoons can be extemely destructive, hell on bird nests, carry rabies, WILL kill a dog or cat if so inclined.

Quote:

Originally Posted by trip286

Live traps, you can pick them up at some shelters, hardware stores, some walmarts carry them, co-ops and feedstores. Bait it with table scraps.

You could also call your local animal control, this kind of thing falls into their job description.

just what i was thinking... these are your best options

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But my finest hour comes
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Live trap- bait with a can of sardines (unopened, just punctured in a few spots)

Then dispose of racoon with a high enegy pellet rifle to the head.

Under the game laws in most states, it is legal for you to kill them. Illegal to relocate.

Racoons can be extemely destructive, hell on bird nests, carry rabies, WILL kill a dog or cat if so inclined.

Yes, that's why my wife is so afraid for our dogs. One of our friends had an older raccoon go after their little yorkie dog in their yard and it damn near killed the little dog. It had to have hundreds of stitches to patch it back together.

Living in Florida is always an adventure. Now we have to worry about coons along with the gaters, bears, panthers, pythons, possums and armadillos. What's next I wonder?

__________________Fear is a Reaction..............Courage is a Decision

What's next? Why would you ask such a thing, that's bad luck! But you didn't mention the snake heads and fire ants. It's a prefect environment for piranhas too. Oh, and bull sharks can survive in fresh water, they've been found in the MS river as far north as memphis I hear (I have no confirmation on that one), so they can easily live in your waters. Some have been discovered in Australia surviving something like 3 shark generations in freshwater, never seeing the sea. Yep, the wildlife is gonna get ya!